If you want to personalise a garment with clean, textured lettering, chain stitch is one of the best embroidery techniques to learn first. The Loom & Stitch embroidery kit for this tutorial is available at the bottom of the article, and the written guide below explains how to stitch a child's name neatly, including how to restart yarn, handle sharp direction changes and add a small finishing detail.
Position the name in the centre
Place the stick and stitch name centrally on the garment and smooth it down firmly. Before you begin, thread the needle and leave a short tail on the reverse of the fabric so you can secure the stitching later without bulky knots on the front.
Work the lettering in chain stitch
Bring the needle up through the fabric, then take it back down through the same hole. Bring it up again one stitch length ahead and make sure the working yarn sits under the needle before you pull through. This forms the first chain. Repeat along the printed line, keeping the stitch length as even as you can. Holding the yarn to one side with your thumb often makes the loop easier to control and helps the chains stay uniform.
Restart the yarn without breaking the line
If you run out of yarn part way through a letter, anchor the last loop with a tiny stitch to the back. Start a new thread by bringing the needle up through the last completed chain, then continue stitching as before. This keeps the join much less visible than beginning again in a completely new spot, and it is a useful habit for any personalised embroidery project.
Handle corners and separate letters neatly
At sharp turns, chain stitch can sometimes pull awkwardly. A simple fix is to finish the line with a tiny anchor stitch, then bring the needle back up through the last stitch in the new direction before continuing. If letters need to be joined after stitching, thread the tail into the neighbouring letter and secure it on the reverse. Where tails sit side by side, knot them together; where one tail sits alone, weave it through the back of the chain stitches three or four times.
Add a small decorative heart
If your pattern includes a decorative dot over an i, two tiny lazy daisy stitches placed together make a sweet little heart. Keep the loops small and balanced so the detail complements the lettering rather than overpowering it.
Remove the backing and complete the piece
Once all the lettering is finished and the reverse is secured, rinse the garment under cold water to remove the paper backing. Let the fabric dry flat before wearing or gifting it. If you would like the matching Loom & Stitch embroidery kit for this name design, browse the associated kit linked at the bottom of the article.
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